East Herts Greens warn ‘significant changes’ to rubbish plans ‘impossible without serious cost and disruption’

Conservatives claim more than 400 East Herts residents have signed a petition against controversial new district council refuse plans.

The Tory opposition is on the offensive over the collection and recycling schedule and is calling on the Green and Liberal Democrat administration to bin the strategy.

Households will be issued with a new 180-litre purple-lidded bin for residual waste, a 23-litre outdoor food waste caddy and a 5-litre kitchen caddy.

The new system involves repurposing some of the existing bins: the black-lidded one will be used for mixed recycling (including plastic bags and wrapping) and the blue-lidded bin for cardboard and paper.

Food waste will be collected weekly, and the residual waste and recycling bins will be emptied on a three-week cycle in what the council’s cabinet argues is a contract based on Conservative foundations. Some households also pay extra for a brown-topped bin for garden waste.

According to the Conservatives, the policy was signed off despite East Herts Council’s consultation revealing that 88% of residents wanted to keep the current fortnightly waste collections.

The administration has also introduced a “litter bin rationalisation project” to remove dozens of public litter bins.

Hertford and Stortford Conservatives chairman Nathan Parsad-Wyatt said: “Residents are being ignored by the Green-Lib Dem coalition. On bins, on parking charges – which are rising by over 50% in some areas – and on development, the ‘listening council’ simply isn’t listening.

“Two years into running the district council, the coalition should stop seeking to blame a previous Conservative administration and start taking responsibility for their own actions.

“If they can’t get the basics right, why should anyone trust them to run the county council when it comes to election day on May 1?

“Only the Conservatives are standing up to this woeful coalition, and trying to stop the Greens and Lib Dems from turning Bishop’s Stortford into Birmingham.”

The Conservative petition will be “presented at a future meeting” of the authority.

A spokesperson for the East Herts Green Party told the Indie: “The new East Herts bin contract meets new Government rules and stays within the council’s budget.

“There will be weekly food waste collections and another bin each week, either card/paper, other dry recycling or general waste.

“Ahead of the contract, less-used public bins are being removed to ensure your council tax isn’t wasted. We will monitor and make changes as needed.

“Sadly, despite their petition against an arrangement they designed and supported, the Conservatives have repeatedly refused to talk to the Greens/Lib Dems, stating ‘no further communication is necessary’.

“This doesn’t seem like a party genuinely seeking change. Meanwhile, everyone who signs [the petition] automatically agrees to Conservatives using their data however they see fit, with no opt-out available.

“Luckily, while the currently Conservative-led county council only accepts petitions via its own platform, the Greens/Lib Dems welcome feedback from a range of platforms.

“It will be impossible to make significant changes this late in the day without serious cost and disruption - something Conservatives know already, but we are always open to constructive conversation.”

Cllr Tim Hoskin, EHC’s Green Party executive member for environmental sustainability, added: “This issue is too important to play politics with and our residents deserve clarity and transparency on what is planned.

“We currently throw away more than we recycle and that position is unsustainable. However, we recognise that this will require all of us to work differently, but the positive impact that can be collectively achieved will be worthwhile.”

For a full list of candidates contesting all 10 Herts County Council seats in East Herts, see https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/news/parties-confirm-candidates-for-east-herts-10-herts-county-c-9411671/.

For a full list of candidates contesting the Braughing and Standon by-election for a seat on East Herts Council, see https://bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/news/reform-uk-candidate-bids-for-parish-district-and-county-sea-9412895/.